New tech program coming to North Island College

New tech program coming to North Island College
CHEK

North Island College, Comox Valley Campus. Photo courtesy Times Colonist.

North Island College, Comox Valley Campus. Photo courtesy Times Colonist.

The province is putting $100,000 towards a new certificate tech program scheduled to be provided at North Island College (NIC) in 2019.

Planning is underway for 40 spaces in the program intended to get students working as IT professionals in less than a year.

NIC is consulting with industry and employers to develop the program that will have graduates ready to work with computer information systems in the region.

The province says the tech sector is one of the fastest growing in the B.C. economy, with more than 10,000 businesses in the province that generates about $29 billion in revenue a year.

Advanced Education, Skills and Training Minister Melanie Mark made the announcement in Courtenay and said the last significant investment in tech programming was more than a decade ago.

“Funding additional student spaces in a new tech program at North Island College is an investment in an innovative, sustainable, 21st-century economy that works for people,” Mark said in a statement.

NIC President John Bowman says the provincial funding will help the school develop homegrown talent to support local employers in the tech sector.

Spaces for the certificate program are expected to become available in 2019-20, running at full capacity the next year.

Funding is planned to increase to $400,000 per year once the spaces are fully implemented.

Details of the program’s location, tuition and curriculum will be announced as planning continues.

Andy NealAndy Neal

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